A folding chair is a light portable chair that can be stored in a stack or row. They are usually used for parties, card games, and temporary seating. They typically can be stored quite easily by either a method of stacking one on top of the other or by folding them into a compact shape.
Folding chairs were already being used in ancient Egypt, Greece and Rome. The curule chair of the Roman magistrate was a folding chair, as well as the seat of the emperor. The frame was mostly made of wood, and seldom made of metal. The wood was inlaid with artistic carvings, gilded, and decorated with ivory. In Northern Europe, folding chairs date back to the Bronze Age.
The folding chair became especially widespread during the middle ages. Here it was treasured as a liturgical furniture piece. Since the 15th and 16th century the folding chair has mostly had arm and head rests. Newer chairs which are often found in functions and events are also called folding chairs. Today, the folding chair is mostly made of hard plastic or metal.
However, folding chairs can lack the stability of a stackable chair. Additionally, folding chairs pose a separate problem of requiring a storage rack to contain the chairs while the chairs are in the collapsed (folded) position for storage. Stackable chairs are not collapsed or folded for storage. Stackable chairs do not require a storage rack. Stackable chairs are readily stored by stacking one or more stackable chairs on top of another stackable chair.
In order to maintain the stability while stacked and maintain stability while an individual is seated on the stackable chair, the stackable chairs are typically assembled by welding the joints together at the manufacturer's location. After the manufacturer constructs a number of stackable chairs, the manufacturer ships the stackable chairs to a consumer or vendor as specified in an order by the consumer or vendor. Though the chairs can be stored readily by a stacking design, the stackable chairs are not shipped very easily. The object of the design and welded assembly at the manufacture is to facilitate more stability during storage by stacking one atop the other and maintaining a specified stability while an individual is seated on the stackable chair. As such, the stackable chairs are cumbersome to ship. What is needed is a stackable chair design that can be knocked-down to enable the manufacturer or vendor to maximize the number of chairs that can be shipped in one container while still maintaining the proper stability required for seating and the functionality of stacking.